China Outbound Travel: Industry Analysis, Growth, Trends, and Forecast

Market Overview

Global outbound travel was driven by Asia in 2015. In terms of individual source markets, China remained Asia’s largest outbound market and nearly four times the next major outbound market in Asia. According to the China Tourism Institute, outbound tourists from China reached 120 million in 2015, which witnessed an increase of 2.6% over the same period of 2014. According to the National Tourism Administration of The People's Republic of China, Gyeongbok Gung, Phuket, Wat Phra Kaeo, Grand Palace, Lotte World, Myeong-dong, Mt Fuji, Sens-ji, and Dual Bridges before Imperial Place are some of the popular attractions among Chinese outbound tourists.

China Outbound Travel: Market Dynamics and Restraints

Factors such as convenient visa policies, decreasing visa fees, and operation of more international flights is expected to drive the growth of China outbound tourism. Further, “One Belt and One Road” which is a network of railways and roads that would connect China and West Asia, Central Asia, and parts of South Asia, will create more opportunities for China outbound tourism. Regarding the accommodation choice, Chinese tourists preferred upscale and luxury hotels as the choice of accommodation during their international trips in 2015. Further, increasing population of high net worth individuals in China is expected to boost China outbound tourism as they take more than three outbound trips per year with an average of ten days stay.  Rising disposable income and relaxation of restrictions on international travel are the other factors that have influenced the Chinese outbound tourism. Technology also played a major role in the growth of China outbound tourism. There are around 620 million internet users and more than 80% people have a mobile device in China. According to the Center of Network Internet and Information of China, half of the total outbound travellers booked their accommodation, flight tickets and other transportation on web or mobile application.

China Outbound Travel: Regional Analysis

In 2016, the Chinese outbound tourists preferred to travel to nearby Asian countries as it is less expensive, the average duration of the journey is short, and the transportation is more convenient. Further, the recent terrorist attacks in Europe have made the Chinese tourists change their destination to Asian countries. The popular destinations for Chinese outbound tourists were Singapore, Thailand, Japan, Malaysia, South Korea, United States and Indonesia. Germany was the most visited destination among non-Asian countries for China outbound tourists, which is the result of simplified visa application procedures. France, Italy and Switzerland were other popular European destinations preferred by Chinese travellers in 2015. The Hong Kong and Macau will remain most popular destinations for China. However, honeymoon and wedding tourism is also on the rise in China.  Indonesia, Switzerland, France and Italy are the popular destinations among the Chinese outbound travellers for honeymoon and wedding tourism. Chinese tourists travel less to the Middle East cities as compared to the other destinations of the world. However, an increasing Muslim population in China has contributed to an increase in religious trips to Saudi Arabia. The average duration of stay in the Middle East remains high compared to the other regions as religious visits tend to be longer in duration.

China Outbound Travel: Forecast Analysis

The China outbound tourism sector is anticipated to expand at a significant rate in the coming years and become the largest tourism source market for many countries. It is mainly attributed to the significant growth of disposable income, especially in the middle class. Currently, leisure tourism is the major contributor to overall Chinese outbound tourism spending followed by visiting friends and relatives and business tourism. Due to the change in income levels, the destinations visited by Chinese outbound travellers are also changing and travellers are exploring new places.

This comprehensive report equips readers with lucid information and analysis on the sector. Future Market Insights’ experienced travel and tourism analysts bring to you accurate and unbiased information to help you make crucial decisions with confidence.

The report offers a 360° view – bringing to the fore key drivers, restraints, opportunities, and challenges prevailing in the sector. To offer readers actionable insights, detailed information on historical trends, current scenario, and future projections is provided in the report. 

The report specifically focusses on the leading companies operating in this sector, highlighting their key developmental strategies. A holistic analysis of the leading players is highlighted to help decision makers understand the overall competitive landscape.

What Can Readers Expect from this Report?

• An overview of the sector, including the key factors that have shaped patterns and demand
• Not just data, but insights that you can incorporate in your strategic decision making
• Nuanced underlying factors that influence consumer behaviour
• Data points to understand the past, analyse the present, and project the future
• Trends that will impact the sector in the short- and long-term
• Deeper understanding of the target audience, their motivations, aspirations, and expectations from service providers